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Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: Hi Peter,

Some time back i asked a question about DND having a so called "position of power", whereby, they could raise prices as get away with it as there is not much competition. Your response was along the lines of : that they should be careful in raising prices as there are other options out there. Your words are reading like a prophecy.

The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Nov. 12, edition that Dye & Durham has told about1,000 B.C. firms that it was sharply increasing the price of the software they use to handle real estate transactions. The Globe's Sean Silcoff and Jaren Kerr write that as of this Friday, they will be charged $199 per file, up from the $30 to $75 they have been paying since the last increase in 2017. The ultimate cost will be passed on to their customers, home buyers. Dye & Durham has made a string of acquisitions in the legal software space. It now faces little competition. Outraged conveyancers, notaries and lawyers inundated Dye & Durham with calls. Moderators of two Facebook groups for B.C. real estate professionals told The Globe that 50 of their members had complained to the Competition Bureau of Canada. Bureau spokesman Amy Butcher said the bureau would start "a thorough examination of the facts to determine if an investigation is warranted." Eight B.C. real estate legal professionals who spoke to The Globe said many of their colleagues shared their negative views of Dye & Durham price hikes. One conveyancer said, "Everybody is really angry, really disappointed."

Does DND have a monopoly and what are your views?

Thanks,
Read Answer Asked by ilie on November 13, 2021
Q: Thoughts on the Opendoor quarter? Do you think this type of technology/business model has a bright future? Would you rather an equal weighting of all three of these names (say 2% each) or is there a clear leader in which it might be more prudent to take a single larger 5% position?

I feel that the real estate sector could become much more efficient and liquid especially with a large player or consolidator that increases competition and should lead to lower transaction costs. Real estate agencies and the (until somewhat recently) gatekept MLS feel like a 'dinosaur' of an industry ripe for tech-based disruption. What are your thoughts about this? Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Marco on November 13, 2021
Q: Hi Peter,

In response to Robert’s question of Nov 10 regarding your thoughts on what folks will wish they had done before interest rates start going back up, you said “…we would reduce very expensive growth stock exposure…”

My 24 year-old has a concentrated, strongly growth-oriented TFSA (at least 10+ yr investment horizon). He’s comfortable in holding higher weightings and “letting the winners run” of those companies that seem to have “staying power”, recognizing that there will be inevitable periods of under performance in their stock performance from time to time (LSPD, for example) but that over the “long-term” they should produce attractive returns. The growth stocks that have done well for him so far include:

GSY (+434% return/16% portfolio weighting)
LSPD (+432%/9%)
KXS (+161%/15%)
TOI (+42%/12%)
HUT (+103%/6%)

He also has the following growth stocks that (so far) have been less than stellar:

AT (-39% return/4% portfolio weighting)
MAGT (-29%/3%)
NVEI (-10%/4%)
WELL (-1%/7%)

Which of the above would you consider “very expensive” and reduce exposure to, regardless of current weightings? In general, aside from personal risk tolerance/comfort levels, how do you determine by how much or to what level, you would reduce “very expensive” holdings to versus simply “letting the winners run” over the long-term? Which of the above stocks that are currently in the red would you reduce exposure to given this is a TFSA (no tax loss benefit if selling for possible later buy-back) - rather than riding out (potential opportunity cost) what is hopefully just the volatility inherent in growth stocks and a period of under-performance (of indeterminate length, admittedly) - assuming no changes in the investment thesis and fundamentals of these companies and the long-term investment horizon.

Thanks, as always, for your insightful help.
Read Answer Asked by Bruce on November 13, 2021
Q: Hello 5i
I believe this company is a SPAC which will give me one-for -one with WEJO when the merger takes place. I got tangled up on the spac/lawyers details. If I in fact bought VOSO shares am I in fact buying into WEJO?
Cheers,
Rick
Read Answer Asked by Rick on November 13, 2021
Q: Should investors be concerned about the current valuation of most companies in the stock market? Investors like Michael Burry have been warning about the consequences of overvaluation in the markets. Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Ben on November 13, 2021
Q: In a TD report on XBC q3 the following comment is made, "Notably, our EBITDA estimate did not include the $5.3 million in severance incurred during the quarter as it was not contemplated in our forecast."

$5.3 million in severence for a company the size of XBC seems high to me. This occurred following the new COO hire.

Wondering if you could shed some light on this. Was there a cleaning of the house following the financial troubles announced earlier this year?
Read Answer Asked by Robert on November 13, 2021
Q: This company has not yet gone to market; but, will in the next few months apparently? I believe it is a USA company - maybe Canadian doing business in USA/Canada? DKAM is very high on it and provided capital and will buy when stock issued. DKAM is a highly regarded Canadian firm.
Read Answer Asked by James on November 13, 2021
Q: Hi team
My question is about the results of bmo in the last quarter. They show earnings of $ 3.41, how much of that is a reversal of provisions on bad debt?, If they target 40-50 % of earnings to the dividend, the increase would be rather large, depending how much they put towards buybacks, something that I never liked.

Thanks

Read Answer Asked by auftar on November 13, 2021
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